From recycled wreaths to fabric Advent calendars: 12 genuinely reusable Christmas things

The festive season isn’t known for its sustainability. This year, eschew throwaway decorations in favour of long-lasting, waste-free finds that you’ll use year after year

I met a woman one January who told me that every year she throws away her tree with all the decorations attached, and then just buys everything new the following year. Not only is this horrendous, environmentally speaking, but she’s missing out on the best bit, as far as I am concerned. For me, Christmas is all about nostalgia and sentimentality, and nothing speaks to that like taking the tatty little robin made of real feathers that belonged to my grandparents out of its storage box and nestling it into the branches of my tree.

My favourite day of the festive period isn’t actually Christmas Day, or even Christmas Eve. It’s the day that we get the decorations down from the loft. I’ll start sorting and unpacking from 1 December, sprucing up anything that needs some TLC – some of my stuff is older than me, after all. Although I do often treat myself to a couple of new, carefully chosen pieces, I love getting out all the bits and bobs I’ve been collecting over the years. It’s like being reunited with old friends.

With that in mind, here are 12 reusable festive things I have either been enjoying for years or am seriously considering buying.

The first item to make its way into the living room is my screen-printed robin cushion cover by the designer Joy Jolliffe. It’s not overtly Christmassy, which means it’s perfectly acceptable to put it out early. Mine isn’t available any more (you can find Jolliffe’s lovely non-festive designs here), but try Etsy for something similar, like this mid-century-style one.

A village hall craft fair is a great place to pick up quirky handmade decorations and gifts. A few years ago, I stumbled across a lady who had made a selection of tiny tea cosies that fit perfectly over a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. There was a pudding, a Father Christmas, a penguin and – the one I opted for – a turkey. Ever since, I’ve bought a Terry’s Chocolate Orange early in the season so the turkey can be plump again. There are patterns available all over the internet, like this one.

Terry’s Chocolate Orange knitting pattern

You always knew it was Christmas in my childhood home because of the quiet “ting ting ting” of Mum’s beloved Swedish angel chimes. The heat from the candles makes the angels spin, allowing them to hit the chimes as they fly past. This classic design has been around since the 1940s, but you can still buy new chimes if you aren’t, like me, planning to pilfer one from your parents.

I’ve been collecting Christmas pixies and gnomes since I bought my first 15 years ago at a Christmas market in Vienna. You’ll find them, in various sizes, dotted around the house in surprising places. Perhaps atop a mirror in the hallway, say, or on the cistern in the downstairs loo. And this, reader, might be my next one: it has pockets! The idea is to hide a treat in each of the four pockets to enjoy on each of the last Sundays leading up to Christmas. This is a nice, calmer alternative to Elf on the Shelf.

If a daily treat in the run-up to Christmas is more your thing, but you abhor the waste created by many Advent calendars, invest in a fabric one that can be used year after year. It also gives you the opportunity to fill it with whatever you like, whether that’s chocolate, soap, dog treats or packets of seeds for the garden.

Graham and Green has created a vintage circus-inspired velvet Advent calendar, with embroidery, large numbered pockets and a sturdy wooden hanger. Its nostalgic design won’t date, and it feels heirloom quality: I can see myself using it for decades to come. This year, it’s teamed up with Biscuiteers to create 24 iced biscuits, one for each day of Advent, and the charming tin they come in is reusable. You can buy the calendar and the biscuit collection separately or as a bundle.

I made my own reusable Christmas wreath at a workshop a few years ago – a natty woollen pompom creation – but I absolutely love this one, which is made using recycled saris by a World Fair Trade Organization-approved supplier. Each one is unique. I don’t risk hanging mine out in the elements, but it’s great in a covered porch or conservatory.

While I am very drawn to ornaments made from paper, I struggle to store them in such a way that they come out of the loft looking as good as they did when they went in. So most of my decorations (other than my glass heirlooms) are made from other natural materials such as cotton, metal, wood and leather. Most of mine are so old they’re no longer available, but thanks to a love of schnauzers, I do have one like this.

There’s been much debate over whether a real tree is more sustainable than a plastic one, but here’s a third choice: a reusable wooden tree. Since my sister-in-law developed an allergy to pine trees a few years ago, she and my brother have used one of these instead, and they love it. This one is made from sustainably sourced coppiced hazel.

For more, read our guide to the best artificial Christmas trees

We all play lots of games at Christmas, but rather than fumbling through the out-of-date questions in your decades-old Trivial Pursuit, how about a good old round of cards? A classic game of rummy is made all the better with a festive deck, especially if, like me, you collect illustrated playing cards (a niche hobby). These limited-edition ones come in three different themes and colours.

I never get through as many nibbles as I do in December, and I have a small collection of festive vintage bowls and dishes in which to serve the Twiglets, Treeslets and obligatory nuts in shells that end up being donated to the squirrels in February. I’m also partial to a festive mug or two, and there is definitely a Christmas gravy-jug-shaped hole in my crockery cupboard.

I have a couple of strings of fabric bunting that can be used over and over again. It doesn’t get much more reusable than a lovely garland that will look just as good around the house at Easter as it does at Christmas; this “strinsel” – tinsel made from string – was originally designed to celebrate Pride. An alternative to tinsel, it is made using baker’s twine from the James Lever factory, which has been making it in Bolton for more than 150 years.

For more festive inspiration, read the best Christmas gifts for mums and the best homemade Christmas gifts

Christmas shopping can be tough, but the Filter is here to help. We’ve been testing Christmas presents all year to help you find thoughtful, creative and genuinely brilliant gifts for everyone on your list. Browse our gift guides for hundreds more tried-and-tested ideas, from gifts you can make yourself to toys for every age group.

Hannah Rochell is a journalist who specialises in writing about – and experiencing – a slower, more sustainable lifestyle, which she documents on her Substack Slowette. This involves everything from switching to eco-friendly cleaning products and advocating for dehumidifiers instead of tumble dryers, to shopping exclusively at responsible fashion brands and learning to sew